History & Mission

About the TABC

The Trans-Atlantic Business Council (TABC) is a cross-sectorial business association representing companies headquartered in the EU and U.S. that serves as the main business interlocutor to both the U.S. government and the EU institutions on issues impacting the transatlantic economy.

The transatlantic partnership is faced with increasing challenges, including the rise of nationalism and economic populism that threaten the liberal democratic principles, market integration, and international trading arrangements built under EU and U.S. leadership over the past 70 years. Globalization itself is being questioned on both sides of the Atlantic, as is the free flow of data across borders that is fundamental to global commerce. Sustained transatlantic leadership, including by the business community, is paramount to address these challenges and reinforce common Western principles.

As integral participants in the transatlantic economy and its local communities, EU and U.S. businesses have an important role to play. TABC exists to promote and enhance transatlantic economic integration and strengthened political ties between the EU and U.S., while reinforcing the role of business as a major stakeholder in various EU-U.S. official dialogues. TABC provides the only platform for European and U.S. companies to work jointly to improve transatlantic collaboration in areas such as ICT, energy, research, innovation, intellectual property, and TTIP negotiations through the development of and advocacy for constructive recommendations and transatlantic solutions. Such business engagement is now more important than ever.

TABC History

On January 1, 2013, Trans-Atlantic Business Council (TABC) was created as the result of a merger between TransAtlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) and European-American Business Council (EABC). Tim Bennett was selected by the Board as Director-General/CEO of the merged organization and served until his retirement in February 2018. The international law firm K&L Gates was then retained by the Board to manage TABC.

The TABD was convened in 1995 by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the European Commission to serve as the official dialogue between American and European business leaders and U.S. cabinet secretaries and EU commissioners. Membership was comprised of chief executive officers or chairmen of American and European companies operating in the United States, Europe and globally.

The EABC was chartered in 1989 as the European Community Chamber of Commerce in the United States. In 1990 the EABC went public in New York and Washington as an independent business association wholly funded by its member companies. Seven years later, the ECCC was renamed the European-American Business Council. Founding Co-Chairs were Gerrit Jeelof, Chairman, Philips North America and John Bryan, Chairman, Sara Lee. Founding member companies were Akzo Nobel, BASF, Bowater, BP, Enimont, Fragomen Del Ray, IBM, ICI, ING, Lazard Freres, Philips, PwC, Sara Lee, Siegel & Gale and Xerox.